1st Church
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      • Picnic at Powell
      • ELC 5K Event
      • Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
      • The Bethlehem Inn
      • Operation Christmas Child
      • Trunk of Treats Photos
      • Food Pantry Photo
      • Faces at First New Pics
  • Church Calendar
    • Calendar
      • Revised Common Lectionary
        • Definition
        • Church Year/Liturgical Colors
        • Weekly Readings
  • Online Giving
  • Home
  • COVID INFORMATION
  • Streaming Worship
  • About Us
    • Church Staff
    • Contact Us
    • General Property Layout and Entrances
    • Announcements
      • Standing Annoucements
      • Weather-Related Changes
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Worship Services / Times
    • Directions
    • Parking at 1stChurch
    • Introduction
    • Visitor Page
    • Favorite Links
  • Programs/Activities
    • Wednesday Night Fellowship
    • Sunday Night Supper
    • Three Rivers District Events
    • Church Softball Team
    • Loaves and Fishes Leaps and Bounds
    • More Loaves and Fishes
    • Camp Bays Mountain
    • Boy Scouts Troop 36
    • UMCmarket or Amazon Smiles
  • Ministries, Missions, Giving
    • Children's Ministries
      • Early Learning Center
        • ELC Payment and Document Center
    • Youth Ministries
      • Youth Forms
      • Youth Group: UMYF
      • Youth Calendar
      • Sunday School
      • Staff and Servants
    • Adult Ministries
      • UMW
        • UMW INFORMATION
      • Conference Room Class
      • Friendship Sunday School Class
      • Open Door Sunday School Class
      • Pathfinders - Sunday School Class
      • Questors Sunday School Class
      • Scripture Study Sunday School Class
      • Fifth Sunday Breakfast and Program
    • Music Ministries
      • Chancel Choir
      • Children's Choir
    • Prayer Ministries
      • Prayer Requests
    • Missions Near and Far
      • Clare's Closet
      • The Bridge
      • Brother's Keeper
      • Operation Christmas Child
      • Little Free Pantry
      • Kairos Ministry
      • Family Promise (IHN)
      • FUMC Food Pantry
      • Czech Republic
      • Good Samaritan
      • Holston Home for Children
      • Medical Mission to Mexico
      • Melting Pot
      • BABMOC Bear Another's Burdens Ministry of Christ
      • Other Missions
      • Prayer Shawl Ministry
    • Giving
      • Online Giving
      • Endowment Giving
      • The Building Fund
  • Video Recordings and Communications
    • Worship Video Archive
    • Newsletter for FUMC
    • Google Calendar
    • Sunday's Worship Guides
    • Safe Sanctuaries Information
    • Volunteer Rosters
    • 2021 Church Directory
    • Committees Home Page Click Here; Individual Pages at right column
      • Connections/Communications Pillar
      • Spiritual Development Pillar
      • Safety and Security Welcome Group
      • Outreach Pillar
      • Worship Pillar
        • AV Team
      • Leadership Pillar
      • Wednesday Night Fellowship Team
      • Finance Committee
      • SPPRC (Staff, Pastor, Parrish Relations Committee
      • Stewardship Committee
      • Endowment Committee
      • Facilities/Trustees
        • USE OF CHURCH FACILITIES
    • Forms and Information Documents
      • ONLINE FORMS
    • Church-Wide Text Alerts
    • Time and Talent Survey
    • Photo Album
      • Photo Albums
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2016
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2015
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2014
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2013
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2012
      • Featured Summer 2015 High School and College Graduates
      • Picnic at Powell
      • ELC 5K Event
      • Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
      • The Bethlehem Inn
      • Operation Christmas Child
      • Trunk of Treats Photos
      • Food Pantry Photo
      • Faces at First New Pics
  • Church Calendar
    • Calendar
      • Revised Common Lectionary
        • Definition
        • Church Year/Liturgical Colors
        • Weekly Readings
  • Online Giving
First United Methodist Church

Being led by the Spirit to reach out brings challenges -
but our church family is changing by leaps and bounds

Just a few years ago, our children's department was getting smaller. We had about three children of elementary age attending. Many of the active youth group graduated and there were only a few teenagers. One of our church members, a teacher, brought a couple of students from school as guests. Another staff person challenged us to reach out to some children who were slipping through some of the other systems. These students and children did not have family that attended this church. We picked them up and brought them. And they wanted the van to come and get them again. They wanted back. And they brought a few friends and siblings.
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Since then more staffing and additional volunteers of all ages have provided much needed leadership, love and guidance. We had strategized in committees and struggled with plans to take care of our church and prepare for the future. Many talked about various programs to reach out, Change is difficult. We had great ideas. Some of these stayed as ideas but bit by bit some ideas started becoming action steps. Shifting the focus to outside of our own church walls, to the neighborhood, to community schools, we found challenges we couldn't handle on our own. But, with God, we are finding ways. We have gone from a few children and a few youth to over a hundred and then some. We have struggled with finances on how to feed "our children" now. But we are feeding them. They eat together on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights. Sometimes they eat with other church members after church on Sundays. Also, we are feeding them more than food. And they are providing spiritual food for our church family as well.  Our church has found grant money to help us do this. And because of this ministry, 1stChurch is attracting some young families who are excited about seeing a church that reaches outside of itself to find purpose in community.

First United Methodist Church
900 Spring Street
Johnson City, TN 37604
phone: 423.928.9222
fax: 423.928.9223
Website:  www.1stChurchJC.org
Senior Pastor: Rev. Jodie Ihfe
Email:  jodie.ihfe@1stChurchJC.org
Associate Pastor:  Rev. Gary Ihfe
​Email:  gary.ihfe@1stChurchJC.org

Office Email: office@1stchurchjc.org
Early Learning Center email:  elc1986@1stChurchJC.org
WebTeam Email:
gary.ihfe@1stChurchJC.org
                              karl.kapoor@1stchurchjc.org
                              
Photos of church family and visitors are property of First United Methodist Church Website . You may electronically share pictures but we request acknowledgement of the FUMC website. To print pictures please obtain photographer's permission by contacting website administrator.youth 
  • Home
  • COVID INFORMATION
  • Streaming Worship
  • About Us
    • Church Staff
    • Contact Us
    • General Property Layout and Entrances
    • Announcements
      • Standing Annoucements
      • Weather-Related Changes
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Worship Services / Times
    • Directions
    • Parking at 1stChurch
    • Introduction
    • Visitor Page
    • Favorite Links
  • Programs/Activities
    • Wednesday Night Fellowship
    • Sunday Night Supper
    • Three Rivers District Events
    • Church Softball Team
    • Loaves and Fishes Leaps and Bounds
    • More Loaves and Fishes
    • Camp Bays Mountain
    • Boy Scouts Troop 36
    • UMCmarket or Amazon Smiles
  • Ministries, Missions, Giving
    • Children's Ministries
      • Early Learning Center
        • ELC Payment and Document Center
    • Youth Ministries
      • Youth Forms
      • Youth Group: UMYF
      • Youth Calendar
      • Sunday School
      • Staff and Servants
    • Adult Ministries
      • UMW
        • UMW INFORMATION
      • Conference Room Class
      • Friendship Sunday School Class
      • Open Door Sunday School Class
      • Pathfinders - Sunday School Class
      • Questors Sunday School Class
      • Scripture Study Sunday School Class
      • Fifth Sunday Breakfast and Program
    • Music Ministries
      • Chancel Choir
      • Children's Choir
    • Prayer Ministries
      • Prayer Requests
    • Missions Near and Far
      • Clare's Closet
      • The Bridge
      • Brother's Keeper
      • Operation Christmas Child
      • Little Free Pantry
      • Kairos Ministry
      • Family Promise (IHN)
      • FUMC Food Pantry
      • Czech Republic
      • Good Samaritan
      • Holston Home for Children
      • Medical Mission to Mexico
      • Melting Pot
      • BABMOC Bear Another's Burdens Ministry of Christ
      • Other Missions
      • Prayer Shawl Ministry
    • Giving
      • Online Giving
      • Endowment Giving
      • The Building Fund
  • Video Recordings and Communications
    • Worship Video Archive
    • Newsletter for FUMC
    • Google Calendar
    • Sunday's Worship Guides
    • Safe Sanctuaries Information
    • Volunteer Rosters
    • 2021 Church Directory
    • Committees Home Page Click Here; Individual Pages at right column
      • Connections/Communications Pillar
      • Spiritual Development Pillar
      • Safety and Security Welcome Group
      • Outreach Pillar
      • Worship Pillar
        • AV Team
      • Leadership Pillar
      • Wednesday Night Fellowship Team
      • Finance Committee
      • SPPRC (Staff, Pastor, Parrish Relations Committee
      • Stewardship Committee
      • Endowment Committee
      • Facilities/Trustees
        • USE OF CHURCH FACILITIES
    • Forms and Information Documents
      • ONLINE FORMS
    • Church-Wide Text Alerts
    • Time and Talent Survey
    • Photo Album
      • Photo Albums
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2016
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2015
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2014
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2013
      • PHOTO ALBUM 2012
      • Featured Summer 2015 High School and College Graduates
      • Picnic at Powell
      • ELC 5K Event
      • Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
      • The Bethlehem Inn
      • Operation Christmas Child
      • Trunk of Treats Photos
      • Food Pantry Photo
      • Faces at First New Pics
  • Church Calendar
    • Calendar
      • Revised Common Lectionary
        • Definition
        • Church Year/Liturgical Colors
        • Weekly Readings
  • Online Giving